Tongs.



E. J. WALKER.

TONGS.

APPLIQATION FILED JUNE 26, 1908.

Patented July 13, 1909.

ANDREW. u. cmmm c0. PHOTO-LIWOGHAPHERS. wAsnmmnu n c UNITED STATES PA TENT OFFICE.

EDWARD J. WALKER, OF JOHNSONBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOR OF ONE-HALF TO ERNEST F. YOST, OF JOHNSONBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

TONGS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. WALKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at J ohnsonburg, in the county of Elk and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tongs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in tongs or grapples, the object of the invention being to provide a construction by which the jaws or grappling arms of the tongs may be conveniently opened by the hand of the operator gripping the handle of the tongs, leaving the other hand of the operator free to perform other work, and such jaws or arms released to automatically engage or grapple a block of ice or other object.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction of tongs in which the means for opening the jaws is adapted to be readily and conveniently manipulated to adjust the jaws for gripping large or small articles, and in which provlsion is made for regulating the action of the said jaw opening means to vary its resistance to the opening movement of the jaws and to close the latter with greater or less force.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation ofa pair of ice tongs embodying the invention, showing in full and dotted lines the jaws in their closed and fully opened position. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the numerals 1 and 2 designate the jaws of the tongs or grapples which are crossed adjacent their upper ends, beyond which point they are extended to form arms 3. At their point of crossing the jaws are connected by a pivot bolt or rivet 4L forming a reduced extension from a block or head 5,

thus adapting the free or gripping ends of the jaws to have swinging movement toward and from each other in the closing and opening movements of the tongs.

A looped carrying handle 6 is provided and is reduced or flattened at its base, as shown at 7 for the engagement therewith of oppositely disposed sets or pairs of links 8,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 26, 1908.

Patented July 13, 1909.

Serial No. 440,586.

the upper ends of which embrace and are pivotally connected at 9 with the flattened portion 7 which adapts them to have free movement thereon, while the lower ends of said pairs of links respectively receive between them the upper ends of the arms 8, to which they are pivotally connected, as indicated at 10. These pivotal connections may be in the form of ordinary pins or rivets passed through the parts and forming joints sufliciently loose to permit of an easy pivotal motion of such parts on one another.

An arm 11 extends downwardly between the links from the flattened base of the handle 6 and terminates about midway of the length of the links, and is provided with a forwardly extending guide lug 12 arranged at right angles thereto and in parallel relation to and above the head 5. This lug is formed with a guide opening for the passage of a sliding pull rod 13, the lower end of which is threaded to engage a threaded opening 14 in the head or block 5, while the upper end of said rod carries an operating handle 15 normally projecting slightly above and in advance of the base of the handle 6 so as to be engaged by two or more of the fingers of the hand of the operator grasping said handle 6. A coiled expansion spring 16 surrounds the rod between the head 5 and the guide lug l2 and exerts its expansive action on said head to force the latter downward and thus exert a down pull on the links 8 to maintain them in a substantially vertical. position and to hold the jaws 1 and 2 of the tongs closed, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1.

As will be understood from the foregoing description, the jaws may be opened by pulling upward on the rod through the medium of two or more of the fingers of the hand of the operator gripping the handle 6 by an up pull of said fingers upon the handle 15 of the rod, whereby the jaws may be opened to a greater or less extent against the resistance of the spring 16, which is compressed to a greater or less degree in such action. This upward pull upon the handle. 15 draws the bracket or head 5 upward, thus causing the arms 3 and links 8 to spread outwardly to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, by which the jaws are forced open. The tongs may therefore be manipulated to adjust the jaws to engage large or small objects through the power exerted by the single hand, of the operator grasping the carrying handle, thus leaving the other hand of the operator free to perform other work. Upon the release of the handle 15 the spring 16 will expand and force the jaws downward, whereby they are caused to close through the folding action of the links and to grip the object.

From the foregoing description the construction and mode of operation of the improved tongs will be readily understood and the advantages of the same appreciated. The construction for securing the desired result is simple, thus allowing the tongs to be manufactured at a comparativelylow cost.

It will be understood that the principle of the invention may be applied to pivoted tongs or grapples of various kinds.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is Tongs or grapples comprising a pair of jaws having crossed upper ends extended to form arms, a pin pivotally connecting the jaws and provided with a head having a threaded aperture, a looped carrying handle having recesses at the opposite sides of its base portion, said base portion being provided with a rigid depending arm having a right-angular guide portion projecting there from and overhanging said head and pr0- vided with a guide opening, links arranged in pairs on opposite sides of said guide arm and pivotally connected at their lower ends to the jaw arms and at their upper ends to the recessed base of the handle, a rod threaded at its lower end within the threaded opening in the head of the pivot-pin and slidably mounted in the guide opening of the guide arm, an operating handle connected with the upper end of the rod and arranged on one side of the carrying handle and below the top thereof, and a spring surrounding said rod between said head and the guide portion of the guide arm.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD J. VALKER.

Witnesses DANiEL MoLAUGrILIN, CmNroN JONES. 

